Consecration of New Altar at Cathedral

One hundred and ten years to the day from the Consecration of the Church of our Lady of Lourdes by Bishop O’Dea of Seattle, a new marble Altar was consecrated by Bishop Daly. The current Cathedral building began its life as a parish church, its cornerstone laid in in 1903 and the church consecrated in 1908. The church was only later designated the Cathedral with the establishment of the Diocese of Spokane in 1913.
The Cathedral of Our Lady of Lourdes has been undergoing renovations as it has entered into its second century as a Cathedral. The most significant projects came during the fall of 2017. The cathedral sanctuary was expanded in the 1970s, when the altar took a prominent position in the crossing of the nave and transept, resulting in a loss of seating space. With the new renovation, meant to unify the architectural elements of the church, seating space has been gained and the Cathedral’s sanctuary has been designed to provide adequate space for the liturgical ceremonies that a cathedral plays host to throughout the year.
Father Darrin Connall, the rector of the Cathedral, emphasized the Marian devotion of our diocese in the design of the new Altar. The altar is composed of white Carrera marble and a blue granite on the front and back faces of the altar. Also mounted on the front and rear of the altar are marble decorations from the original altar rail with the monograms IHS and XP. Both are Greek abbreviations for Jesus and Christ, respectively. In our Catholic tradition, the altar symbolically represents Christ; the Marian elements remind us that Mary always points us to Christ.
The rite of consecration itself involved the blessing of the altar with oil, lighting incense on the altar, prayers of blessing, the clothing of the altar and finally the lighting of the altar candles. The altar is then ready for the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.
Beyond the new altar, the renovations to the sanctuary include new flooring, as well as a new Cathedra. The Cathedra, or bishops chair, is a symbol of the Bishops authority in the diocese. The Cathedral takes its name from the Cathedra. The new Cathedra includes a marble platform and backing, which includes elements from the 1932 cathedra built for Bishop Charles D. White. The chair of the Cathedra is the original 1913 cathedra used by the first bishop of Spokane, Bishop Augustine F. Schinner.
While much has been completed at the Cathedral, there is more to come. The nave will receive new flooring and new pews to accommodate more of the faithful. A new sound system and eventually a new organ will assist parishioners in their worship.